The Portland Trail Blazers turned a lot of heads when they finished fifth in the Western Conference standings and won a playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers last season. Of course, beating the Clippers shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise as the Clippers lost star point guard Chris Paul and power forward Blake Griffin to injuries in that series. However, the fact that the Blazers had even made it there after losing LaMarcus Aldridge and several other key pieces the offseason before was a big surprise.
They will look to build on that success in 2016-17 with a chance to become a perennial contender moving forward. Portland overcame the loss of four starters and two top reserves to remain competitive thanks in large part to the All-Star backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Trail Blazers added a couple of key pieces this offseason and should be primed to take another step forward this coming year.
Offseason Changes
One year after the mass exodus that completely shook up the roster, Portland took an aggressive stance in this year’s free agent period. That began with bringing back its own pieces. The Trail Blazers signed restricted free agents Allen Crabbe, Moe Harkless and Meyers Leonard, then signed McCollum to a contract extension. Crabbe was heavily sought-after as the Brooklyn Nets originally signed him to an offer sheet but the Blazers did well to keep him. Portland wasn’t done there, with Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli landing on the roster via free agency. Turner and Ezeli should both provide veteran depth this season. Turner has often struggled to be the main man but on this roster, the pressure is off. He’ll be able to come in and play next to Lillard and McCollum, or he can spell either one of them. The Blazers now have one of the best young back courts in the NBA.
Strengths
There is no doubt that the Trail Blazers have one of the best backcourt tandems in the NBA with All-Stars Lillard and McCollum. Both players averaged upwards of 20.0 points per game last season and their scoring consistency drove the offense from start to finish. Al-Farouq Aminu emerged as a bright spot on the wing with 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and he should continue to thrive at the four spot as another quality young player. There is a chance that Turner could start on the wing right away but even if he comes off the bench it’s clear that Portland improved its depth with the additions of Turner and Ezeli.
Weaknesses
The Trail Blazers don’t have a star big man up front where Aminu is their best player and Mason Plumlee is still developing. Plumlee has surpassed Meyers Leonard on the depth chart but he is still growing in to the starting role at 26-years-old. What we see from him now might be the best the Blazers get out of him. That’s not bad but he’s mostly a rebounder that would be better served coming off the bench.
Portland is also dealing with a lack of pure three-point shooters and Turner doesn’t solve that problem. Lillard and McCollum are All-Stars but there is a significant drop off when those two aren’t on the floor. Nobody will underestimate the Trail Blazers this coming season so they will have to handle the added burden of expectations in an improved Western Conference.
Outlook
Nobody will be caught off guard by Portland’s potential this coming year so it will be interesting to see if they can take another step forward after solidifying their roster following a busy summer. The Trail Blazers will need their All-Star backcourt to stay healthy and play big minutes but they also can’t rely on Lillard and McCollum to do it on their own. Portland will need more playmakers to step up and that will mean leaning more on Aminu, Turner and Crabbe in particularly. A number of teams that finished below them last season have improved significantly so the pressure will be on the Trail Blazers to build on what they accomplished last season.
Prediction: 2nd in Northwest Division; 6th in Western Conference
